Fire escape



.NOV. 5, 1929. R, N, SHEARE'R y 1,734,833

FIRE ESCAPE Filed DQCLY,l 1926 Patented Nov. j, N29

FIRE ESCAPE Application filed December 7, 1926. Serial No. 153,125.v

The invention relates to means for escaping from burning buildings andhas for its principal object the provision of a lire escape providedwith a liquid brake to limit the 5 speed of the shaft on which'is woundalternately two bands or ribbons, the liquid brake comprising twocylinders on which are reciprocally mounted pistons connected withcranks on the shaft carrying the bands or ribbons, the two cylindersbeing connected by a pipe provided with a control valve and the pistonsarranged to alternately move-up and down, the fluid being contained inthe cylinders and engaging the pist-ons to limit l5 the reciprocalmovement thereof, the speed of the shaft being regulated by the speedwith which the liquid can move through the pipe connecting thecylinders, and the valve located in the pipe being adapted to regulatei9 the orifice for the passage of the liquid to increase or decrease thespeed of the shaft.

The invention will be described in detail hereinafter and will be foundillustrated in the accompanying drawingspin which- "0 Figure 1 is afront view 1n elevation of the improved fire escape,

Figure 2, an end view, and

Figure 3, a transverse sectionalY view on a plane indicated by the line3-3 of Figure 1.

In the drawings similar reference characters will be used to designatecorresponding parts in the several views.

The improved fire escape comprises an angular bracket 1 that is adaptedto be secured to the building in any suitable position and havingdepending journal members 2 on which is journaled a shaft 3 carrying tworeels 4L on which are wound bandsor tapes of any suitable material suchfor in- *O stance as steel or other fire-resisting material,

and designated. 5. One of the bands is wound clockwise on the shaft andthe other band is wound counter-clockwise, so that when the device is inuse the bands may be alternately used for lowering persons to theground, movement of one band downwardly winding the other band on theshaft to be again used when the lowering band has reached the ground andit in turn will be 0 wound on the shaft by lowering the first band.There are three` journal members 2 arranged one between the reels 4 andthe bands 5' and the other two on the outer side respectively of thereels 4: and bands 5 so that they serve to guide the bands in beingwound i. on the reels as welll as forming supports for the shaft 3. j

rlwo cylinders designated 6, are secured to the bracket 1 and havepistons 7 arranged to reciprocate in said cylinders. L-shaped pitmen 8connect cranks 9 on t-he ends of the shaft 3 with piston'rods 10,` saidcranks being arranged so that one ofthe pistons 7 is descending whilethe other piston 7 is ascending. rlhecylinders 6 below the pistons 7 arefilled with suitable fluid, such as oil of any required density, and thelower ends of the cylinders are connected by means of a pipe 11 toconvey the oil from one cylinder to the other, and 12 is a regulatingvalve located in the pipe 11 to regulate the orifice for the passage ofthe oil so as to regulate the speed of the shaft 3 and the consequentdescent of the person suspended on the dev scending band or ribbon 5.

The end of the bandor ribbon 5l in each instance is provided with a loop13 on which may be suspended a chair or other-device for holding theperson while descending from the building. Y .Y

The operation of the device will be apparent from the drawings anddescription, and a further description is considered unnecessary.Attention is invited to the fact that the initial movement of thedescendingl band or ribbon 5 will be its greatest movement, as the shaft3 can only turn at a cer'- tain speed regulated by the valve 12 so thatthe speed of the person using the escape will be gradually reduced asthe band is unwound from the reel 4 so that when he reaches the groundhe will be going at the slowest speed of the band.

What is claimed is z- A lire escape, comprising an angularV bracketmember, journal members secured thereto, a crank shaft journaled in saidinembers, reels secured to said shaft between said journal members,flexible membersl arranged to wind alternately on said reels, a cylindersupported by said brackets and arranged at each end of the crank shaft,a piston in each Y of said cylinders and operatively connected With thecrank shaft, and a duct connecting said cylinders, the cylinders andduct containing a fluid completely filling the cylnders on one ofthesides of the pistons.

In testimony Whexeof Iax my signature.

ROLENZO NOBEL SHEARER.

